Inventors have been trying to figure how to extract energy from the ocean for more than 150 years.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,454, issued 1983, discloses a fluid coupled wave generator array with sub sea structure wherein a sub sea support structure is coupled to floats in a Hagen array. This invention has many differences and problems, such as, many moving parts exposed to the salt water, it has to be tightly anchored or solidly fastened to the ocean floor, ships can collide with the apparatus. It does not use its own weight to pull against instead it pulls on the ocean floor. The floats are responsive to the relative motion between the floats and not the lifting of a weight like the present invention.
The invention anchoring system has to be adjusted continuously with a wench where the present invention needs no adjustment because it does not use the ocean floor to operate.
U.S. Pat. No. 855,258 issued 1907, discloses a wave motor that has the same differences and problems as U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,454 listed above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,213 issued in 1978, discloses a wave driven generator that has different size floats connected together that float on the ocean surface and bends to the shape of the ocean surface.
There are many problems that have prevented ocean generators from going into production. They have numerous moving parts that are exposed to the salt water that will have a limited life under harsh and corrosive conditions. Many of the patents show these apparatuses solidly connected to the ocean floor (piers, land, poles, and scaffolding), which can be torn apart in bad weather. Many are tightly anchored to the ocean floor, which is very expensive (one float to one or more anchors). Many of these invention are anchored tightly straight up and down. When an anchor is pulled from the side it is very strong, but when an anchor is pulled straight up, it must be much stronger and deeper, which adds greatly to the cost. When an apparatuses is mounted solidly in a fixed position or relationship to the ocean floor, e.g., tightly fixed by an anchor, then it must be continuously adjusted for the different height in the tide, which is very difficult to do. The apparatuses that are mounted on a dock or a barge will have very little chance of surviving a hurricane or severe waves. Since waves have a long distance between them, many apparatuses will not produce power between wave motions.
The ocean waves have enormous energy, but there are many problems with trying to convert it to electricity. The ocean changes continuously with waves that range from 1 ft. swells to 100 ft. breaking waves and current that pulls in every direction. The height in the tide is changing continuously. The salt water is very corrosive and sea life attaches itself to everything. There are also many vessels and boats to contend with. Trying to make anything permanently fixed in place in the ocean is almost impossible.